8/6/2008 - Brazil MTC - Picture

Oi,
Thanks for your emails. The picture is of me and my new brazilian roommates that leave the same day I do. They are so cool and help so much with the language. This is so crazy, it´s my last week in the MTC and I got to go proselyting, it was so awesome. We talked to so many people and gave out 6 book of mormons and probably 45 pass along cards. the cards just have a picture of Jesus or the book of mormon and a church number on it so they can call and recieve a book of mormon.
I feel like I am not even ready to go to the field. I´m so nervous because I am far from learning the language. Well I need to get going I´m already over my time to use the internet. I just want you all to know that I love you and that I know this is the true church. my testimony of it has grown so much since I have been here and continues to grow. Take care.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

7/30/2008 - Brazil MTC

Oi, Como foi seu semana depois? (How was your last week?) For me it has been good. I got over my cold alot quicker than I thought I was going to. I went to the doctor in the MTC and he gave me some medicine and told me that the best thing for a stuffed nose is snuffing warm salt water. Its really weird but it does work. You just snuff it in your nose and it comes out your mouth. Ya I know sounds disgusting. Last week me and a few guys in my district all went to a place called Rodizzio´s and yes it is the exact same here as it is there. We ate some pretty interesting things. We ate Ox, wild boar, grilled rib steak, ram, and my favorite coração de ponho (chicken heart). I really liked the chicken heart and ate like 7 or 8 of them. All the food was so good and I way over ate. This week as we were walking around we tried some sugar cane juice. It was so good, this guy had a machine that he just stuck stocks of sugar cane in and it squose out the juice. It was really sweet and had some natural energy in it.
On saturday we had to teach a lesson to a family that came to the MTC. We had to teach in portuguese with out any notes. Its hard to talk for fifteen minutes in another language but we actually did pretty good and got our message across. This coming friday I get to go out proselyting one last time in São Paulo.
We also got some new brazilians in our room. Elder Nascimento and Elder Monterio, They are so cool and speak very little english. they help us with our portuguese and we help them with their english.
I´m glad to hear that everything is going well for you and hope that things continue to get better. I love you all and I know that the lord is in our lives 100%. He wants us to be happy and to draw closer to Him. We had a fire side on sunday and there was a very interesting fact, in the book of mormon there are 6607 verses. Out of the 6607 verses 3925 of the verses testify of christ. So you could open up to a random page and put your finger on a verse and you have more of a chance of getting a vesre that is about christ. I just thought that was a very intersting fact. I know that this book of mormon is the word of God and that through it we can know more about God and His plan for us. I´m so greatful to be here at this time and I know that I am doing the lords work. I will be guided in the ways and in the places that He wants me to go. I know that if we will all study the scriptures that we can continually have the spirit of the lord in our lives. Alright thats enough of my preaching. I will let you go. Just know that I love you and keep you in my prayers. Take care and I will write agian next week.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

7/23/2008 - Brazil MTC

Oi,
Esta semana eu foi mutio dorente. (this week I have been really sick.) I have been sick for almost a week now. It started out as just a little cough but has gotten worse. very hard to breath and my sinuses are so plugged that it is hard to focus. I constantly have head aches. I was able to weigh myself and in 5 weeks of being here I have gained 15 pounds. I now weigh about 152 lbs.
This week has been really cool I got to go proselyting again and it was awesome. it felt hareder but I think it´s because I tried to talk to more people and got turned down alot more. We had a guy just walk up and start asking us questions about the church. We ended up giving him a book of mormon and he said he was very interseted and agreed to talk to the missionries in his area. It´s such a spiritual experience to go out and rely fully on the spirit to guide you and on what you should say.

I leave the MTC on August 12th. so don´t send anymore to the MTC just mail it to the field I will get them there. The funny thing about your e-mail mom is that you said when I start dreaming in portuguese is when I know the language but I have dreams all the time in portuguese I just don´t know what people are saying. ha ha, its coming though.

That picture of the four of us is the district leader Elder Escobar, his companion Elder Miguel, Then me and my companion Elder Farnsworth. the tall one is the district leader. He is 6'8", He´s so tall and just towers over everyone. All the guys in my district are really cool. We all get along and help each other out.
I hope to get those pictures dad, I really miss everyone and would love to be able to see some pictures. Thank you all for your support and for your prayers. I pray for you all everyday and wish the best for you. Well I better be getting off soon Theres alot I have to do today, including going back to the doctors. I love you all.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

07/16/2008 - Brazil MTC - Pictures

Here are a few pictures that I´ve been able to take. one of my whole district, one of me and my brazilian roomates that left last week. the one with four of us are my roomates that we took this morning.

Tchau,
Elder Levingston

07/09/2008 - Brazill MTC

Oi,
How´s everyone? I miss the kendall kampout they are always so much fun. that stinks that Gary has to go back to Alaska. I hope everything is going well though. I sent a letter today but I don´t know how soon it will get there Brazil is having a mail strike and wont send the mail out. they are however still delivering the incoming mail from other countries. We went to the são paulo temple today. it is so gorgoeus inside. proselyting was so much fun. we went to down town são paulo and taught people on the street. The city is huge and about the size and just as busy as New York. it was so crazy just to walk up to someone and start talking to them. I gave a guy the book of mormon and then went back to talkin to more people and turned around to see him sitting and reading the book. its so awesome to think that just talkin to that one guy could have planted the seed to where he will talk to other missionaries and be baptized. I´m so greatful to be here and I know the lord has guided me throughout this whole time. that is the only way I have learnd as much as I have as fast as I have. I know that this church is true and keep you all in my prayers. I love you all and wish the best for you. I have to get off now.
Tchau, Elder Levingston

07/02/2008 - Brazil MTC

Oi, o this week has been better. As a district we all decided to have a fast last week. We fasted so that we an all learn the language better and that we will pay attention in class. I am finally getting to where I can catch some of the stuff people are telling me in portuguese. We got another chance to go to the campinas temple. It was a good session I saw the other video for the first time. I´m always tired but its just the fact that we work so hard. This last weekend was so awesome and the spirit was so strong. It was all based on the atonement and we got to watch the Testaments on sunday.

Lets see my usual day goes....I get up at 630, get dressed and by 7 start personal study which is reading the book of mormon or doing what I feel I need to study. Then we have companion sudy at 730. We eat breakfast at 8 ad then by 830 we go to our first class where we learn about he gospel, or the language and switch off on each subject by 1245 we go to lunch which is usually the best meal of the day. then we go back to our the same class by 145 and learn more doctrine or more language Till about 515. then its dinner, at 6 we go back to the class room and do Missionary Directed study time which is where my companion and I study a subject of choice. around 915 we go up to our room, write in our journal, take a shower, and get into bed by 1030. on monday wednesday and friday we have gym from 830 pm till 930. thats how everyday goes here.
Wednesday and sunday are my faorite days. wednesdays we get up by 530 and go to the temple. hen we eat lunch when we get back and hae freetime till 5. sundays we go to church from 8-11 then we eat lunch at 1130. then free time tilll 3. we then go watch a church movie. after diner we have a fireside and its really hard to stay awake in those because they have to translate from portuguese to english and it takes so long to get a message.
This last sunday I got the opportunity to bless the sacrament. I thought it was hard in english but its more difficult in portuguese. On friday I´m going proselyting in down town são paulo. I´m really nervous. well I got to get off the inteernet now so can you please send this to dad and all those you have their e-mail addresses. Obrigado (thank you) I love you all thanks for your support. take care.
Tchau, Elder Levingston

06/25/2008-Brazil MTC

Oi, tudo bem? Everything is going great here. I have had a few struggles this week, but after going to the campinas temple today it´s brought my spirits back up. The language has totally messed up my spelling. Each day I´m here I keep building on my testimony. I can feel the adversary trying to work on me but I can over come it. I can´t be on too much longer but I do want u to know I am very greatful I have you as a mom and that I was sent to such an awesome family. I love you.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

6/18/08 - Brazil MTC

oi, como vai? (Hi, how are you) I´m doing good the food here is amazing, and I get along very well with my companion, elder farnsworth. I´ve been very busy trying to learn the language. its pretty difficult. Although I can already bear my testimony and pray in portuguese. So we have found a place where we can e-mail from. It´s hard because we only get so long in the day where we can write and e-mail and what not so this maybe a pretty short message. O real quick, I started a thing called missionary ties and you should be getting a letter soon in the mail. right now its just a trial but I heard you get your mail alot quicker. I want you all to know that I love you very much and that I know the church is true. this is probably the hardest but greatest thing I´ve ever tried to do. I´m sorry if I don´t write alot of letters its because I don´t have alot of time. I love you all again hopefully I will have more time.